Insulation kit for hot water boiler

ABSTRACT

The insulation kit for covering a hot water boiler has a series of insulation panels joined to each other along straight joints and corner joints. Each of the straight joints and corner joints has elastic tape mounted transversely thereon in a stretched mode, for maintaining the joints in a compressed state. In another aspect, each vertical corner joint is a miter joint forming a right angle, and is made with abutting edges each having a 55° bevel angle thereon in a relaxed mode.

This application is a continuation-in-part application of application Ser. No. 12/382,210, filed Mar. 11, 2009 which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/071,434 filed Apr. 29, 2008.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains to an insulation kit for hot water boiler, and more particularly, it pertains to an insulation kit wherein the joints thereof are held in a compressed state.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The rising cost of heating oil has created a strong market demand for insulation kits for retrofit installation on domestic hot water reservoirs and hot water boilers. The material used in these kits consists of, or is entirely made of, plastic-based material such as foam or fibreglass. Plastic-based materials are known to shrink with time. In some instances a shrinkage of 4% has been reported. Therefore, the aging of the insulation in an insulation kit causes joints to open. Cracks and slots appearing along these joints reduce the insulating property of the insulation kits considerably.

Some examples of retrofit insulation kits of the prior art are described in the following documents;

-   U.S. Pat. No. 1,609,858 issued to W. J. Bohon on Dec. 7, 1926; -   U.S. Pat. No. 2,365,086 issued to J. T. Kamowski on Dec. 12, 1944; -   U.S. Pat. No. 2,371,347 issued to C. H. Morrow on Mar. 13, 1945; -   U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,129 issued to P. Damois on Sep. 16, 1975; -   U.S. Pat. No. 4,039,098 issued to K. M. Stilts on Aug. 2, 1977; -   U.S. Pat. No. 4,447,377 issued to D. W. Denton, May 8, 1984; -   US Publication US 2007/0289451 by A. C. Rice, dated Dec. 20, 2007;

Although every insulation kit of the prior art deserves its own merits, there is no suggestion in the prior art to address the problems associated with a deterioration of insulation property due to insulation shrinkage and the opening of joints.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the present invention, there is provided a new and improved insulation kit for covering a hot water boiler. The insulation kit has a series of insulation panels joined to each other along corner joints and straight joints. Each of these corner joints and straight joints have elastic tape mounted transversely thereon in a stretched mode, for maintaining these joint in a compressed state. The elastic tape is a long-aging type tape so that the compression of all joints is maintained despite a substantial amount of shrinkage in the insulation material of the kit.

In another aspect of the insulation kit, the side and end panels of the kit are about one-and-one-half inch taller than the casing of the boiler for enclosing the edges of the top panel. The side and end panels are also wider than the casing of the boiler, such as to cause a one-inch dead air space around the top region of the boiler casing. The top panel is wider and longer than the dimensions defined by the side and end panels, such that it is mounted in a tight-fit mode inside the side and end panels of the kit. The tight-fit mounting referred to herein is one that causes the top panel to bow upward from the top surface of the hot water boiler. This buckling of the top panel provides compressed joints around the edges, slits and openings in the top panel. This buckling also provides an insulating dead air space alongside the upper region of the hot water boiler.

In yet another aspect of the insulation kit of the present invention, the vertical corner joints between the side panels and the end panels in the insulation kit are miter joints. The edges forming the corner joint are intentionally cut to 55° and are forced together in a 45° relationship with each other such that the heel of these joints are held in a compressed state.

All the joints in the insulation kit are held in a compressed state so that the insulation performance of the kit is maintained despite aging-related shrinkage of its elements.

This brief summary has been provided so that the nature of the invention may be understood quickly. A more complete understanding of the invention can be obtained by reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof in connection with the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals denote like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 represents a perspective front and side view of a hot water boiler having the preferred insulation kit installed thereon;

FIG. 2 represents a partial cross-section view through the insulation kit as seen along line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 represents a top view of the hot water boiler with the preferred insulation kit installed thereon;

FIG. 4A represents a partial cross-section view through a corner joint on the insulation kit, taken at line 4-4 in FIG. 2, during assembly of the corner joint;

FIG. 4B represents a partial cross-section view through a corner joint on the insulation kit, taken at line 4-4 in FIG. 2, after assembly of the corner joint;

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-section of the insulation kit installed on a cylindrical water heater.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring firstly to FIG. 1, the preferred insulation kit 20 is made of two side panels 22, two end panels 24 and a top panel 26. The side, end and top panels have dimensions for enclosing a hot water boiler completely. Preferably, the top panel 26 is removable to allow a serviceman to periodically remove a cover plate on the boiler and to clean soot from the plenum of the boiler for example.

The side, end and top panels 22, 24, 26 have slits 28 therein and openings 30 along these slits, for enclosing pipes and instruments that are associated with a hot water boiler. Therefore these panels are made in two or more sections that are assembled together as a kit. All openings 30 have dimensions for tight-fit mounting around the pipes and instruments passing there through.

The panels are joined to each other at corner joints where the joint makes a right angle, and straight joints extending within a plane of a panel. The slits 28 are also referred to as straight joints.

During installation of the preferred insulation kit 20 each straight joint 28 is covered with pieces of transverse tape 40, and longitudinal tape 42 such as partly illustrated in FIG. 1. The preferred transverse tape 40 is supplied as part of the insulation kit 20, and its method of installation is also provided. The preferred transverse tape 40 is a stretchable polyethylene film tape manufactured by 3M, Industrial Tape and Specialities Division, 3M Center, Building 220-7E-01, St. Paul, Minn. 55144-1000. This preferred tape is known as Polyethylene Film Tape 480. It has an elongation-at-break property of 280% and a resistance to aging. This transverse tape is also referred to herein as an elastic tape 40.

The preferred longitudinal tape 42 is a commonly-available aluminum-foil-covered duct tape. This longitudinal tape is also referred to herein as duct tape 42. Every straight joint 28 is preferably covered by two or more pieces of elastic tape 40 applied transversely thereto, and a duct tape 42 applied longitudinally thereto over the pieces of elastic tape 40.

The pieces of elastic tape 40 are preferably applied in a pre-stretched mode. These pieces are preferably stretched to 125% to 150% of their initial lengths and applied across a straight joint 28. Each straight joint 28 and corner joint 44 and pieces of elastic tape 40 are then recovered by duct tapes 42 which are applied longitudinally thereon.

There is one exception to the taping of straight joints 28. The top panel 26 is preferably left untaped, so that it can be removed easily when required. In the drawings, the tapes 40 along the top panel 26 have been illustrated in a dashed-line mode for indicating that they are optional. This top panel 26 is held in a compressed mode by the pressure of the side and end panels 22, 24, and therefore elastic tapes on the joints thereof are not really required.

In FIGS. 1-3 not all pieces of elastic tape 40 and duct tapes 42 have been illustrated in order to maintain the clarity of the drawing.

Because of the pieces of elastic tape 40, all straight joints 28 and corner joints 44 are held tight together despite shrinking in the material of the panels 22, 24, 26.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, additional details of the preferred insulation kit will be explained.

The side and end panels 22, 24 are preferably made of one-inch-thick rigid fiberglass board-type insulation material. The top panel 26 is preferably made of one-and-one-half inch-thick blanket-type, compressible fiberglass insulation material. Both types of insulation material are of the reflective type, having a layer of aluminum foil on their exterior surfaces.

Although specific thicknesses have been suggested for the insulation material, thicker or slightly thinner material may be used to obtain the same joint compression as those described herein. Similarly, other types of insulation material can also be used.

The side and end panels 22, 24 have dimensions for maintaining a one-inch overhang ‘A’ in the top panel 26 on all sides over the top surface 46 of the hot water boiler. The side and end panels 22, 24 extend one-and-one-half inch over the top surface of the boiler 46 and jointly enclose the edges of the top panel 26. The top panel 26 further has dimension to mount in a tight fit mode inside the side and end panels 22, 24, such that the top panel 26 is compressed and bowed upwardly as illustrated in FIG. 2. The upward bow in the top panel 26 is referred to herein as a buckling in the top panel and this buckling is labelled as 47.

For reference purposes, the top panel 26 has overall dimensions in a relaxed mode of at least two inches wider and longer than the dimensions defined by the side and end panels 22, 24. The empty space 50 present between the top panel 26 and the top surface 46 of the hot water boiler creates a dead air space that provides additional insulation over the top surface 46 of the hot water boiler.

Similarly, the air space 52 created by the one-inch overhang ‘A’ provides additional insulation around the boiler casing near the top of the boiler casing, where heat tends to accumulate.

In order to keep the side and end panels 22, 24 tight against the top panel 26, pieces of elastic tape 40 are also installed transversely across the corner joint 44, such as illustrated by label 40′ in FIG. 2. Because of the pieces of elastic tape 40, the one-inch overhang and the tight-fit mounting of the top panel 26, the corner joints 48 around the top panel 26 are kept sealed in a compressed state for preventing heat losses at that location. When the top panel 26 is removed for inspection of the boiler, it is reinstalled by tucking it inside the side and end panels 22, 24 to restore the insulation property of the kit entirely. The compressibility of the material of the top panel 26 makes it relatively easy to reinstall the top panel to its original setting.

The buckling 47 in the top panel 26 ensures that the joints 48 around the top panel 26 will remain tight and sealed even in the presence of shrinkage in the insulation kit 20 due to aging of the material of the insulation kit 20.

The amount of overhang ‘A’ mentioned above needs only to be sufficient for creating the buckling 47 in the top panel 26, for keeping the joints 48 around the top panel 26 in a compressed and sealed mode.

Referring now to FIG. 4, another structural feature of the preferred insulation kit will be explained. The vertical corner joints 44 in the insulation kit 20 are formed with 45° degree joints. The vertical edges of the side and end panels 22, 24 are cut at an angle ‘B’ of 55°. During installation of the insulation kit 20, these edges 60 are pressed together to close the gap there between completely, so as to form a 90° joint 44. The excess material at the heel 62 of the joint 44 is kept in a compressed mode by pieces of transverse tape 40 and a longitudinal duct tape 42 mounted on the outside surface of the joint. The compression of these vertical joints 44 allows for some shrinkage in the insulation material without letting the joint 44 open and without adversely affecting the insulation performance of the insulation kit.

The insulation kit described herein is made to cover a water boiler that has an inspection or clean-out port on its top surface. When the insulation kit is made to cover a boiler or reservoir that has an inspection port on its side or rear surface for example, one of the side or end panels is preferably mounted the same way as the top panel 26 described herein, with its edges enclosed by the adjoining panels.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the insulation kit 20 can also be installed on a cylindrical reservoir, such as a hot water tank 70 for example. In that case, the insulation kit comprises a side panel 72 made of one, two or more segments and being capable of being wrapped around the reservoir 70. The side panel 72 is higher than the top surface 46 of the reservoir such that the upper margin of the side panel 72 encloses the edge of a circular top panel 74. The top panel 74 is larger than the top surface of the reservoir such that the top panel 74 overhangs over the edges of the top surface 46 of the reservoir. The amount of overhang ‘C’ needs only to be sufficient for creating the buckling 47 in the top panel 74 as seen in FIG. 5, for keeping the joint 48 around the top panel 74 in a compressed and sealed mode. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A reservoir having an insulation kit mounted thereon, said reservoir having a flat top surface and a side surface; said insulation kit comprising; flat insulation panels each having a uniform thickness and comprising a top panel covering said flat top surface and a side panel covering said side surface; said top panel being larger than said top surface; said side panel being mounted for enclosing the edges of said top panel with compressive forces such that said top panel has a buckling therein, and said buckling forming a dead air space between said top panel and said top surface.
 2. The reservoir as claimed in claim 1 wherein said reservoir is a hot water reservoir.
 3. The reservoir as claimed in claim 1 wherein said top panel is made of compressible insulation material and said edges of said top panel are held in a compressed mode against said side panel.
 4. A hot water boiler having an insulation kit mounted thereon, said hot water boiler having a rectangular shape with, flat side surfaces; flat end surfaces and a flat top surface; said insulation kit comprising; a series of flat insulation panels each having a uniform thickness and comprising a top panel covering said flat top surface, and side panels and end panels covering said side surfaces and said end surfaces respectively; said top panel being wider and longer than said top surface; said side panels and said end panels being mounted around said heater and jointly enclosing the edges of said top panel, said side panels and said end panels enclosing said edges of said top panel with compressive forces such that said top panel has a buckling therein, and said buckling forming a dead air space having an arc-like cross-section under said top panel.
 5. The hot water boiler as claimed in claim 4, further having corner joints and straight joints between said panels and longitudinal tapes covering said corner joints and said straight joints.
 6. The hot water boiler as claimed in claim 4, wherein said side panels and said end panels are made of board-like fibreglass insulation material.
 7. The hot water boiler as claimed in claim 6, wherein said top panel is made of blanket-type compressible fibreglass insulation material.
 8. The hot water boiler as claimed in claim 5, wherein said corner joints are miter joints with abutting edges each having a 55° bevel angle thereon in a relaxed mode and being held in a compressed mode forming right angles.
 9. The hot water boiler as claimed in claim 4, wherein said side panels and said end panels are configured to be joined to each other and held tight against each other along straight joints and corner joints.
 10. The hot water boiler as claimed in claim 5, further comprising elastic tape mounted across said corner joints and said straight joints. 